Talking About Your Immigration: Recent Episodes
Jakab Kaufmann
Immigration is a very important part of my identity and I am connected to a lot of people who have similar experiences and backgrounds. However all experiences of immigration are unique and fascinating. I decided to start this podcast to interview real people and hear their stories and see how their experiences have impacted their identities and how they see the world.
Joseph's journey took him from Sydney's Northern Beaches to New York, New York with a brief sojourn in Sweden. Listen and find out what he's learned.
Natalie moved from Sydney to Dubai after being head hunted for a job she wasn't initially interested in. Listen to how her mind very quickly changed once she got there and what she learned along the way.
Netta was born in Israel but grew up in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs among the Russian-speaking diaspora. Find out how she emerged from that bubble and how she identifies today.
Courtney has just moved from Australia to Britain and her experience of moving during a pandemic was something I could not miss. I wanted all the details in this two-part interview.
Courtney has just moved from Australia to Britain and her experience of moving during a pandemic was something I could not miss. I wanted all the details in this two-part interview.
Kartini was born in Australia but spent some of her childhood in Indonesia. She came back to Australia and then made her way to Germany via Switzerland.
Avinoam grew up in Israel with parents from different backgrounds. He moved to Germany to study music and now he lives in the Netherlands.
Satoko moved from Kobe to Tokyo and then left Japan for London to study. She's now been living in the UK for 15 years and doesn't think she could fit back into Japanese society anymore even if she tried. What was it like living in a country where you don't feel comfortable with the language? Does Satoko still feel Japanese or does she feel English now?
Tony was born in Hong Kong and has so far lived in Australia, England, Germany, Japan and Sweden. There was a lot to cover in this episode. How does Tony identify with his current home in Sweden? How did he identify as a Hong Konger with his other homes along the way? Is he going to stay in Sweden or even come back to Hong Kong?
Agnes was born in England and then moved to the US. She then finished her studies and decided that to try out teaching English in Berlin. That opened up a whole other perspective for her and she found a new path in Switzerland. That path however led her back to Boston. What does she identify with? How did this whole saga impact her?
Albert moved from a small town in the Netherlands to a tourist haven in Belgium only 300kms away. He feels quite at home there and decided he would become a citizen at the cost of giving up his Dutch nationality. How does it feel to be Dutch in Flanders? How does it feel no longer being Dutch in the Netherlands? Questions of national identity abound in this discussion with a man who changes the pronunciation of name based on who he's talking to.
Beth moved from New Zealand to Australia when she was eight but she still feels a strong connection to her homeland. She struggled at the beginning, because she learned that Australians don't have the same respect for New Zealanders as the latter does the former... She spent a year in Canada and learned that maybe the differences between Aussies and Kiwis isn't as big as she'd once thought. And yet every time she goes back to New Zealand, she can't wait to stock up on those bikkies....
Dave grew up in rural east England. He had no ambitions for his career but now he's a professor of sociolinguistics in Switzerland. He left his homeland after university and wound up on the other side of the planet. Migration has taught him a lot about who he is and he shared a lot about his experience in this episode. Listen and let me know what you think!
Katie moved from Barry's Bay Ontario to various cities in Canada. She knew she was destined to leave a small town, because that's what most Canadians do - they flock to the cities. She then, however, made her way across the Atlantic to set up a new life in England. It wasn't her original aim, but now she's a British citizen. How does she feel today about her migration story?
Cecilie found herself in Hong Kong after trying to get to Australia. She didn't get lost, she just fell in love with most things Chinese as soon as she arrived in Beijing. She couldn't get permission to stay on the Mainland, so she made her way to Fragrance Harbour and committed herself to exploring China as much as possible. She fell in love with all things Cantonese and embarked on a journey to install it as a new world language. After 28 years in Hong Kong, she decided it was time to come back to Europe, only now she lives just a bit south of Norway on the island of Mallorca.
Anita moved to Australia as a very young child and grew up in the Australian system. She's currently in Hong Kong again but she's going to return to Japan later this year. She's a well-travelled teacher and she knows many cultures.... but which ones does she know best, and which ones does she identify with the most?
In this episode I speak to Darija, a musician who left Croatia as a child and grew up in New Zealand. She now lives in southern Germany after having studied in Switzerland. We talked about her experiences in both of her grand migrations and reflected on a few important moments.
This is a sort of trailer to the first season of my podcast. I thought I would show off some of the questions I've been asking my guest and the reasons I ask them by interviewing myself.